010604: 23:43 Sat
Internet Business Forum Inc. has suspended its publications

I read this email with much interest. I used to welcome the Ibizinterview newsletter where interviews with web designers and people with online businesses would be interviewed and be delivered to my email box every week. I'd read their stories of how they started, what they do and more. Some of the stories were quite inspiring.

Despite this and the fact that they had over 60,000 subscribers to their suite of 16 online newsletters, they ran out of cash. Even though large numbers of people use email to communicate and research things on the web, it seems that the concept of online advertising and marketing through interesting online publications such as Ibiz's newsletters hasn't yet entered the mainstream mindsets of marketing managers and ad agencies.

Perhaps many of the decision makers use the web as a tool but aren't necessarily totally 'wired' and aren't sure of the opportunities and the innumerate websites, newsletters that would be a suitable vehicle for companies to reach their target audience. Perhaps these decision makers aren't very familiar or aware of the possibilities to market their goods and services online. Maybe they are still more familiar with picking up a newspaper or magazine and know what offerings are in the market place for the hardcopy medium but don't have the same extent of knowledge of the online offerings. But as the next generation of workers who grew up with the web as a tool through being introduced to it in their early years of schooling, this will change. These workers will use online tools like we use the phone and fax machine. By this time the online environment may look and feel very different and the tools used may also adopt a very different design.

Maybe it'll take a few years or more for this to happen - as the decision makers learn more about these new online marketing opportunities and really start to use these online vehicles as part of the entire marketing strategy. For the moment, the early adopters can potentially market their goods and services online very cost effectively with a very targetted audience reach. The late adopters will get there. In the meanwhile, I hope companies such as Internet Business Forum find some way to hang in there and yet find some innovative way to become financially viable.

010604: 19:25 Mon
Funding a dream

It's inspiring to read about individuals who work towards making their dreams happen. The May 2001 issue of Writer's Digest features an interview with Kathleen Gasperini who started W.i.G. magazine - a magazine which profiles "women musicians, alternative sport athletes, environmentalists, book readers, DJs, bike messengers, web-filmmakers, motocrossers.. " and covers sports, art, music etc rather than being a traditional type 'women's magazine'. In this interview, she says she funded her first three issues on four credit cards.

Kevin Smith - the maker of 'Clerks', 'Mallrats', 'Chasing Amy' is another. According to an article on the Silent Bob website "Clerks was made for $27,575. It was mainly funded by 10 credit cards that Kevin had to his name, funds garnered from store credit after he sold his comic book collection, a family donation, and paychecks from working at the Quick Stop and RST Video."

Now I'm not suggesting credit cards are the source of funding of choice but it's cool how these two individuals just did it any way they could. No excuses.

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About CG | Editor: Kirsten Lowe | PO Box 559, Broadway 2007, Sydney, Australia
Ph: 0410 310 238 | Fax: +61 2 9555 1752 | Email: kirsten@chaosgeneration.com